Electric alarm clock



ELECTRI C ALARM CLOCK Filed N v- 18.1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Suva"? o1,

Oct. 9 1923. 1,469,887

E. N. BURLEIGH ELECTRI C ALARM CLOCK Filed NOV- 18. 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1110777701? A. Bu/126%)? 61m: new! Oct. 9 1923.

E. N. BURLEIGH ELECTRIC ALARM CLOCK Filed o 18. 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Oct. 9, 1923.

UNITED STATES 1,469,887 PATENT OFFICE.

EARMON N. BURLEIGH, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO HENBY G. FBAZIER, OF CARNEGIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

" ELECTRIC ALARM cLocx.

Application filed November 18, 1922. Serial No. 801,847.

a clock 0 this character, by means of which an alarm is given, not-only in the room where the clock is situated, but also in remotely situated rooms, simultaneously with the ringing of the alarm in the first room.

Another object of the invention is to arrange the electrical connection, so that the alarm can be given for a certain length of time, for instance ten minutes, unles switched off by the person in the room, where the clock is situated, and the light will burn for the same length of time.

If the clock is placed sufficiently close to the person using it, it is evident that he can stop the alarm almost instantly. The alarm clock is arranged with switches for both the light and the bell, so that the bell may be turned off while the light is burning and it is possible for the person using the clock to light a fire in the room or perform other duties intended to belexecuted at the time the alarm is given.

By a suitable arrangement of switches it will also be possible to give alarms in other rooms at desired hours, without giving an alarm in the room where the clock is situated.

In the accompanying drawings, one embodiment of the invention is illustrated, and

Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic representation of the circuits and connections for the alarm clock;

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the clock in position, and

Figure 3 is a perspective view with the clock open, showing the interior thereof.

In the drawings, reference numeral 10 represents the dial of a clock of ordinary construction. Around this dial are placed metallic contacts 11, suitably insulated, one opposite each hour represented on the dial.

The clock has the usual minute hand 12, and

extended beyond the edge of the dial 10 and is adapted to contact with any of the metallic contacts 11 in passin over the same. If an alarm is intended to e given for ten minutes, for instance, the width of the hour hand 13 and that of each metallic contact 11 added together represent a movement of ten minutes of the hour hand '13. In other words, from the time the contact is made when the hour hand-13 firstztouches a metall1 c contact 11 until it leaves the latter, the time of ten minutes is supposed to have elapsed.

Below the dial is arranged a switch board 14 of insulating material, upon which is secured a bar 15 of conducting material. Uniformly spaced apart on this bar 15 are pivoted a number of hour switches or levers 16 and above the bar 15 are provided a series of terminals 17, one'for each hour on the dial. As seen in the drawings, only six levers 16 have been provided, as it is evident of the switch board 14, so that, for instance,

the hour terminal I is furthest to the left of the board, while the hour terminal XII is at the extreme right hand end thereof, as best seen in Figure 1. I

At 21 is shown the main alarm and at 22 the electric light for thesame. This alarm and light are included in the circuit of the battery 19 and connected therewith by means of a conductor 23, while another conductor 24 runs to the spindle 27 of the hour hand 13. A switch 25 may be provided for turning off the light 22 and another switch 26 for the bell 21, so that in this manner the li ht may be used singly or in conjunction wlth the bell.

Supposing, now, that an alarm was'to be given at seven oclock, a lever 16 is then turned to contact with the terminal 17 representing this hour, as seen at VII in Figure 1. If, now, both switches 25 and 26 are closed the circuit will be completed, when the hour hand 13 reaches the contact 11 for the same hour, which is, in this instance seven oclock. The current from the battery 19 will then run through the conductor 18, the switch 32, bar 15, the lever 16, terminal 1?, representing seven o clock, the conductor 20, the contact 11, for seven oclock, then to the hour hand 13 and its spindle 27, over the conductor 24, switch 25, light 22, alarm 21, switch 26 and conductor 23 back to the battery 19. The alarm will now continue to ring and the light 22 to burn, as long as the hour hand 13 is in contact with the metallic contact 11, for the set hour, unless either one of the switches 25 or 26 are opened or the lever 16 turned into central position. In the latter case, both the alarm and the light will be turned off simultaneously, whereas, if the switch 26 is opened, the alarm 21 will cease to operate.

So far, the device has been described for a main alarm only.

If it is desired to arrange alarms in different rooms, on different floors, as for instance, in a hotel, an alarm 30 may be arranged in each of the rooms. In Figure 1 of the drawings seven such rooms have been shown and are indicated by the letters A to G, inclusive, each room having its individual alarm 30.

On the switch board 14 is now arranged a second bar of conducting material and near one end of this bar 31 is pivoted the switch 32 connected with the conductor 18 and adapted to contact with a terminal 29 on the bar 31. If no alarms are desired to be given in any of the rooms A to G, the switch 32 takes the position shown by the dotted lines in Figure 1, but when an alarm is to be given in one of these rooms, the switch is turned down to contact with the terminal 29, as indicated by the full lines.

A number of levers 33 similar to the levers 16, are-journaled on the bar 31 and other terminals or pegs 34 are provided on the switch board 14 for these levers and similarly arranged in relation to the terminal 17 as already described, that is to say, that the pegs 34 are arranged symmetrically as regards the'respective levers 33. These pegs have been indicated in Figure 1 by reference characters a to g to indicate the corresponding rooms A to G.

Between each of the pegs 34 and the alarm 30 in the corresponding room is provided a conductor 35 with cut off switch 38, while all of the alarms 30 are. connected by means of conductors 36 to the bar 15 of the main alarm. In this manner a shunt circuit from the main circuit including the battery 19, is provided for the alarm in each of the rooms A to G.

If now an alarm is to be given, for instance, in rooms D and E, at the same time recess? as the main alarm. 21'is sounded or, as previously explained, at seven oclock, the switch 32 is turned from contact with bar 15 to contact with the terminal 29, the switches 33 closed, and the levers 33 turned to contact with the pegs d and e, for these two rooms. The shunt circuit is then closed for each of the rooms I) and E, so that the current proceeds from battery 19 and the following conductors and elements 19, 23, 22, 25, 24, 27, 1.3, 20, 16, and through the bar 15, the conductor 36, through the alarms 30 in rooms D and E, and back, through the conductor 35 to pegs d and e, corresponding levers 33, bar 31, terminal 29 and switch 32 and back to battery 19 over conductor 18.

It will now be evident that an alarm may begiven in any of the rooms from A to G, and at any desired hour during the day or night, and that also alarms may be given exclusively on the main alarm.

Referring particularly to- Figures 2 and 3, a practical construction for an alarm clock has been indicated. This has been shown as a box-shaped structure or cabinet 40, having an inner compartment 41, in which the cells of the battery 1.9 are placed. A door 42, hinged as at 43, closes the opening of the compartment 41 and on this door is secured the clock-work 44, of any suitable type. All of the conductors 20, which are suitably insulated and run from the individual metallic contacts 11, are collected into one cable 45, from which the opposite ends of the conductors 20 are distributed to their respective terminals 17 on the switch board 14. The conductor 24 from the hour hand spindle 27 is carried to one binding post 46, and if more than one cell is used for the battery 19, they are connected by means of wire 47 to the opposite binding post 48, which connects both to the main alarm 21 and to the light 22.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a signaling system of the class described a signal, a clock having a contact point for each of its hours, the hour hand forming a switch with each of said contacts, a conductor connecting said hour hand with one pole of an electric source and running through said signal, and means for selectively connecting the other pole of said electric source with said contact points, said means including a set of levers, each one of said levers being adapted to serve two adjacent contacts.

2. Ina signaling system of the class described a signal, a clock having a contact point for each of its hours, the hour hand forming a switch with each of said contacts, a conductor connecting said hour hand with one pole of an electric source and running through said signal, means for selectively connecting the other pole of said electric source with said contact points, said means including a switch board, a series of terminals corresponding to the contacts of said clock, each of said terminals being electrically connected with the corresponding contact point, and electrically connected levers adapted to selectively contact with said terminals to complete the circuit, each of said levers serving for two adjacent terminals.

3. In a signaling system of the class described a signal, a clock having a contact point for each of its hours, the hour hand forming a switch with each of said contacts, a conductor connecting said hour hand with one pole of an electric source and running through said signal, means for selectively connecting the other pole of said electric' source with said contact points, said means including a switch board, a series of terminals corresponding to the contacts of said clock, each of said terminals being ele'ctrically connected with the corresponding contact point, electrically connected levers adapted to contact with said terminals to complete the circuit, said signal including an audible and a visible element.

4. In a signaling system of the class described a main signal, a clock having a contact point for each of its hours, the hour hand forming a switch with each of said contacts, a conductor connecting said hour hand with one pole of an electric source and running through said main signal, means.

for selectively connecting the other pole of said electric source with said contact points, said means including a switch board,-a series of terminals corresponding to the contacts of said clock, each of said terminals beingelectrically connected with the corresponding contact point, electrically connected letact point for each of its hours, the hour.

hand forming a switch with each of said contacts, a conductor connecting said hour hand with one. pole of an electric source and running through said main signal, means for selectively connecting the other pole of said electric source with said contact points, said means including a switch board, a series of terminals corresponding to the contacts of said clock, each of said terminals being electrically connected with the corresponding contact point, electrically connected levers adapted to contact with said terminals to complete the circuit, a plurality of secondary sig'nals each of said secondary signals being electrically connected with said levers, a series of contact pegs corresponding in number to said secondary signals, a conductor leading from each of said secondary signals to a corresponding contactpeg, other levers electrically connected, adapted to make contact selectively with said contact pegs, and a common switch for said other levers, adapted to form a shunt circuit with the circuit of the main signal, for said secondary signal.

In testimony whereof I atiix my signature.

EARMON N. BURLEIGH. 1,. 5. 

